“The snake escaped. Hard to hit a fast moving snake with a .380.”
Or any handgun for that matter. That is why many farmers & ranchers have a shotgun or a handgun loaded with birdshot handy. I took out a daimondback a month or so back with my Judge loaded with 410 #7 birdshot. One shot. one dead snake.
I find a hoe or sharpshooter works better and I don’t waste precious ammo.
“a handgun loaded with birdshot “
I went to the range, loaded my Redhawk 44 Mag with those. Cranked the ayatollah target out to about 12/15 feet, and turned it into confetti! Pretty funny!
I live in Florida on a lake, my .410 Snakecharmer is loaded and just inside the door. It is put to good use several times each year. Gotta use the right tool for the job!
Not as hard as you might think, if it is prepared to strike. .45s seem to work particularly well, possibly as a slower-moving bullet which gives the snake time to react and strike.
That’s exactly what I use, a Judge with 410 #7 birdshot. I took out two poisonous snakes one evening with the Judge. I can’t tell you what they were as they’re protected but they’re gone now.